It is highly lipophilic, allowing it to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily than other thiamine derivatives. Although its clinical efficacy is not yet defined, sulbutiamine is used to treat asthenia. While its other uses include improvement of erectile dysfunction and reduction of psycho-behavioural inhibition, sulbutiamine showed evidence of modulatory effect on dopaminergic and glutamatergic cortical transmissions. The chronic administration of the drug has demonstrated to improve long term memory formation in mice.